First Data and MasterCard have announced an agreement in which First Data’s STAR® Network will participate in MasterCard’s common U.S. Debit EMV solution. The companies say that this agreement, combined with other recent industry announcements, provides a cost-effective solution and accelerates the ability for EMV functionality to be implemented across the U.S.

By working together, MasterCard and First Data will deliver enhanced choices in how debit card issuers identify and apply multiple network relationships to ensure Regulation II compliance in a cost-effective way. Merchants and acquirers will continue to route transactions as they prefer, without host systems reprograming.

First Data again demonstrates its leadership position in the advancement of EMV in the U.S. with STAR being one of the first debit networks to assist issuers, acquirers, and merchants with equal access to a shared EMV chip card technology, without restrictions on cardholder verification methods,” said Barry McCarthy, president, First Data Financial Services.

“This agreement, and other EMV agreements we have recently announced, helps accelerate the migration to EMV adoption, and moves the entire industry a step closer to additional debit payment security,” McCarthy added.

In January 2013, MasterCard was the first network to offer its proprietary technology to other U.S. debit networks in an effort to support the migration to EMV and enable the routing of PIN debit transactions over multiple, unaffiliated networks. This decision allows acquirers to brand transactions originating from the U.S. common AID (application identifier) for any debit networks that elect to participate.